Down the Dark Staircase
by jsmulligan
Summary: -This story is on indefinite hiatus- You've heard whispers of the tale. You've seen poor, destroyed Eris haunting the Tower. Perhaps you have even been her avenging angel. Now, we delve into the story itself, to see what lead a team of six Guardians to meet their fate below the surface of the moon.
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _Many years ago, shortly after the foundations of the Last Safe City._

"What do you want?"

"Answers."

The massive beast turned its head at that answer and eyed the small creature standing before it. There was nothing special in the small thing's appearance that would set it apart from the others who had come. He was not impressive to look at in any way, however there was something indefinably unique about him. Scaly lids narrowed over malevolent eyes as its serpentine body twisted into a more comfortable position, tucking its feathery wings against its sides. It drummed its talons against the cavern floor as it considered the response.

"Answers? Is that all, little one? Most that seek us out do so for much greater power than that."

"Yes," the man answered, "but there is also an old proverb, from well before the Golden Age of Humanity, that states, 'Knowledge is power,' and that is the power that I desire. I seek understanding."

A rumble of satisfaction sounded in the beast's throat, "Understanding? That is something I can attempt to grant. I could share with you the entire universe, but I doubt you could store that knowledge inside that tiny mind of yours."

"Try me," the man responded, his audacity earning the beast's respect.

"Very well then, human. What do you wish to understand?"

"So many, many things. We have lost so much knowledge, with everything obscured as it has faded into myth. There are so many legends of the Collapse and of the Darkness that came. The Speaker acts as if he knows, but refuses to elaborate. Now I come to you, in hopes that you can shed light on what he keeps hidden. The first mystery I must know is the most straightforward. What drove humanity from the moon?" the man asked the beast before him.

"That answer is more complicated than you begin to fathom, oh listener mine," the beast replied, lowering its dragon-like face down to his level, meeting him eye to eye. To his credit, the man did not flinch.

"Teach me," Toland stated firmly.

The Ahamkara's eyes glinted and it began to speak.

…

 **AN**

 **Short and to the point. Hello again, everyone. I had spent some time thinking about the next story to tell. I wasn't sure if I should continue the story of Claney and my other OCs following the end of _A Not so Simple Patrol_ , but I think I will save that for after Destiny 2 comes out, since that story ended up pretty much in the present of the game's timeline. Sure, there's a year or two I could play around with, but I don't want to push that one forward yet. Looks for more _Tales We'll_ Tell entries to come covering the time until D2. Many of those characters will also return in a story running parallel with the game's storyline.**

 **One thing that kept coming to mind though, was the story of Eris, the Great Disaster, and the Crota Fireteam. That should be evident by the fact that I have two _Tales_ entries dealing with it. I decided to expand those stories here, giving one long, cohesive narrative leading through that point in Destiny's history.**

 **Now, I make no claims to tell the definitive version of this story. Only Bungie knows how things really happened, and they don't always give us all the answer we want. I realize there are a couple other stories on this site that cover similar ground as well. I almost opted not to write this story for that very reason, not wanting to step on anyone's toes, but... I can't shake it loose, so here we are.**

 **The Author's Note is now almost as long as the actual entry. Trust me, future installments will be much longer than this. Hopefully you follow along and enjoy, oh reader mine.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Warlock let out a sigh and gave the Exo equivalent of a bemused smile as she heard the doors open behind her. Where she stood, perched on a ladder with her back toward the entryway, she had no way of seeing who had entered the library, but she knew exactly who it was none the less. Even if she had had numerous visitors here, which she did not, the cadence of the footfalls were a dead giveaway. No Warlock moved that way and the books would be rattling on the shelves if it was the Titan.

A glance over her shoulder confirmed her suspicions. The Hunter stood near the first collection of books, bright green eyes hungrily taking everything in. Those green eyes burned with a desire to know, and one could find themselves lost in them if they were not careful. She was different than any Hunter that the Warlock had ever known and would have made a fine Warlock herself, had her Light chosen a different path.

 _Different_ , the Warlock mused, _that was a perfect word to describe Eris Morn_.

"I am afraid I am all out of books on zoology and ethology, Eris," the Warlock called over her shoulder. "You have read them all."

"That is quite alright, Eriana," the Hunter replied, "I was looking for something of a different nature this time. Not to mention, some of the changes the Traveler wrought limit the value of old knowledge in that area anyway. No one from before the Golden Age had dreamed of the Ahamkara or batodactyls, for instance. I was wanting to delve into a little botany and herbology this time."

"Well, if you are concerned about changes due to the Traveler, those will only take you so far as well," Eriana-3 replied with amusement, "given the lack of vegetation on Venus prior to its arrival."

"Lucky for me I am only concerned with terrestrial flora, then," Eris stated, turning her attention to the nearest book shelf, running her index finger over the ancient spine of a manuscript.

"Give me a moment to finish and I will see what I have," the Exo responded, re-shelving the book she held.

"Anything I can give a hand with?" Eris asked, turning her attention back to the Warlock.

"No, thank you," Eriana replied. "I just need to... Ah ha!"

Eriana-3 spotted the tome she had been searching for and gently lifted it from its place. She climbed down the ladder, book in hand, then set it on her desk. Turning her gaze back to the other woman in the room, Eriana studied her for a moment. She knew of no other Hunter who sought information in the way that this one did. Coming to a Warlock the way she consistently had was out of the ordinary as well, as most Hunters seemed to take an almost antagonistic view of their more scholarly compatriots.

"Botany and herbology, you said?" she asked, to which the Hunter replied with a nod. "I am curious about something, Eris."

"What would that be?"

"Why you keep coming here," Eriana stated directly. "Surely there are larger collections in the Tower. I know that the Cryptarchs, for instance, have much more raw information to offer than I could hope to."

"That is probably true," the Hunter conceded, "but they also hoard their knowledge more greedily. Many other Warlocks are the same, especially if it is a Hunter that comes calling."

Eriana-3 nodded at that, then stepped over to a different shelf. Scanning the books it held, she slid one from its resting place. Turning back to Eris, she was surprised to see that the Hunter had silently slipped across the room and was studying the cover of the book she had pulled down earlier.

"What is this?" Eris asked eagerly, tracing the image etched on the front with a fingertip.

"Something I acquired a few years ago," Eriana replied. "Information from the end of the Golden Age about the species called The Hive."

"The creatures they say drove humanity from the moon," Eris said quietly.

"Exactly," Eriana nodded. "You _have_ been studying. I'm impressed."

Eris gave a small smile and looked away, uncomfortable with the praise that came all too rarely.

"I was here when they exiled Toland and his madness from the Tower," she offered by way of explanation.

"Toland, yes. Poor thing. He had become obsessed with the Hive over the years, ranting about them to anyone who would listen. Most refused to listen to him, claimed the stories were all legend. They drove us from the moon," the Warlock continued, "and then stopped there; no one knows why. They have been silent and seemingly dormant since then, which is why they have faded to legend.

"Now, however, something is changing. Scanners have been detecting faint traces of signals from Luna. There has also been evidence of large scale seismic shifts, which is very odd coming from a celestial body with no tectonic activity. There is some concern that whatever has been sleeping on the moon all these centuries is being roused."

As Eriana spoke, Eris opened the book carefully. Hand-written notes filled the margins. The pages themselves were covered with recorded eye witness tales and sketches from people who had encountered the Hive and lived to tell the tale. They spoke of creatures that resembled nothing so much as walking corpses of the long dead, dry skin flaking away; of unbelievable supernatural abilities such as floating beings firing darkness from their fingertips. Before the first Risen, such powers would have been beyond the understanding of humanity. A strange dread that she had never felt before gnawed at Eris' stomach as she looked at the drawings.

"Forget the other books," the Hunter said to the Warlock, looking up from the yellowed pages to look at the Exo, "do you have anymore books like this one?"

"No," Eriana replied, taken aback by the urgency in the Hunter's tone, "that is all I have on the matter. I am sure the Cryptarchs have more, but like you said..."

"They don't like to share," Eris finished. After a brief pause, she continued, "This is important enough to make them share. I think I'll go have a little talk with the Master."

What the Hunter had in mind with the word "talk", Eriana did not know. Whatever it was, however, the feral grin that spread across her face and light blazing behind her green eyes made the Warlock certain that she did not want Eris having the same sort of "talk" with her at any point. In a blink, the Hunter had turned and walked out of the study. A glance at the page Eris had been looking at revealed a hand-drawn image of a creature labeled "Wizard". Nothing specific jumped out at Eriana that would have caused such a strong reaction in the Hunter, but if one Guardian reacted that way, it gave her hope that she could make others consider the potential threat.

That or she would simply be labeled mad like Toland had.

…

"Ah, Rahool!" Eris shouted as she saw the Awoken Cryptarch in the hallway near their library. This was about as good a turn of events as she could hope for, as he was rumored by most to be next in line to head the order.

The Cryptarch turned looked at her, then rolled his golden eyes. He turned away from her then and made to continue on his way. Eris grimaced, narrowing her eyes, and picked up her pace. She easily caught up with the Awoken man and stepped in front of him, blocking his path. He came up short and tilted his head, literally looking down on her.

"What can I do for you, Hunter?" he asked condescendingly.

"I need information, and I need it now," she told him, "and I want you to get it for me."

"We've been through this, Eris," he replied, "our records are not free for perusing with dirt encrusted fingers. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Rahool made to step past the Hunter. Eris drew a knife and spun, stabbing the blade into the wall in front of him. The Cryptarch arched an eyebrow and glanced at her, attempting to give a stern look of disapproval. Eris, however, noticed the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard and the slight tremble in his lip as he spoke again.

"Quite the display. Are you finished?"

"No, not remotely," she hissed. "I can think of a thousand ways to make you change your mind, should it come to that. Some you may find in ancient manuscripts, many of my own devising. Test my resolve, Cryptarch, and you may learn something new today."

"What could be so important that you would risk the repercussions of such an act?" Rahool asked, the tremble becoming more noticeable.

"The Hive," Eris said quietly.

Rahool's eyes widened. Bingo! He did know something. Eris extracted her blade from the wall, checking the tip before putting it away and gestured for the Cryptarch to lead the way. He strode in the direction of the archive, and Eris fell in line, smiling triumphantly.

…

While Eris visited the Cryptarchs, Eriana-3 had scooped up her book and made her way to visit the Vanguard. If she was right about the moon, someone needed to say something. If the Hive were stirring, she had no doubt that they would set their sights on Earth. If something was not done, they would find the planet easy plunder, as the City was still recovering from The Battle of Twilight Gap, the Vanguard was still adjusting to a change in membership, and things were still in disarray after The Faction Wars. Perhaps the Hive were somehow aware of how tumultuous recent years had been and looked to take advantage?

She found the Vanguard in their usual place, going over reports from the failed raid into the Vex's "Vault of Glass" on Venus for the umpteenth time. While it was true that the Vex presented a curious threat, Eriana knew she needed to get them focused to something a little closer to home. She made a noise that was the Exo equivalent of clearing her throat, and the three turned to look at her. Andal Brask, longtime Hunter Vanguard stood to the left, newly appointed Titan Vanguard Zavala stood next to him, and to the right was Ikora Rey, herself still relatively new to the post as well.

"Hello, Guardian," Ikora spoke up first, "what can we do for you today?"

"There is a matter of grave importance that I must bring before the Vanguard," Eriana began. "I believe an imminent threat to the City is about to rise and we need to be ready."

"What threat is that?" Andal asked. "None of my scouts have reported anything suspicious building up."

"From Luna," the Warlock replied, "a group of creatures known as the Hive."

Eriana held out the book, open to the page featuring the drawing of the Wizard that had affected Eris so strongly. She hoped for a similar result. Ikora reached over and took the offered manuscript, studying it thoughtfully.

"Many years ago," she continued, "a Warlock named Toland brought this information to our attention, but was exiled from the City. He had become obsessed, some felt dangerously so, with these creatures and their relationship to the Darkness. I don't think we should let his madness, if he even was mad, cloud the fact that there is a very real threat literally hanging over our heads.

"These creatures have been dormant on the moon for a very long time. Something has changed that, however, and I believe they are preparing to move once again. In the past, humanity gave up the moon in hopes that it would satiate them. I believe it no longer does. If these things do come for us, and they will, we need to be prepared. We need more information about them."

The three Vanguard listened, though she found it difficult to read anything in their faces as she made her plea. When she had finished, she stood and waited, hopeful.

"This could indeed present a grave threat to the City," Zavala said after a moment, crossing his arms and considering the Exo.

"We could send a Guardian to check it out, perform a quick scouting mission" Andal suggested.

"Indeed, but who?" Ikora asked. "We just lost a team of our best to the Vault, and Saint-14 has never reported back in regards to his search for Osiris. Most of your scouts are employed in monitoring the Fallen to make sure they do not attempt another assault directly on the City."

"I may have someone in mind," Andal replied. "Rezyl Azzir. He might not always listen to us, but I'm sure he'd be happy to go searching for nightmares. The man loves a challenge."

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention," Zavala intoned.

Eriana nodded, then returned to her study. She found Eris waiting outside the door, holding several volumes of material. Excitement flashed behind her green eyes when she saw the Exo and she waved one in her direction.

"I knew I could convince them to share," she said.

"Impressive," Eriana responded honestly. "Remind me to stay on your good side."

Eris smiled again, and Eriana stepped past her to unlock her door. The Hunter followed the Warlock into the room eagerly.

"I had a productive time as well," Eriana continued. "I met with the Vanguard, told them of what I had noticed about the moon, presented them with the information about the Hive. They are at least considering the possibility of a threat. They are sending a Titan, Rezyl Azzir, to investigate."

"Only one?" Eris asked in surprise. "I know Rezyl's reputation, but how much can one man do? Traveler's Light, I would have expected better from them."

"We have lost many reliable soldiers recently," Eriana conceded. "The caution isn't unexpected. Once Azzir comes back, though, I'm certain they will feel the need to do more. I have you to thank for it, actually."

"Me?" Eris asked in genuine surprise.

"Yes," Eriana replied with a smile. "With your reaction to the book. I was concerned about what was happening, but could almost write it off as my own fears. I also questioned whether anyone would pay it any mind. Seeing another respond so viscerally to the book, however... it convinced me that others might see it my way."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of some assistance," the Hunter said, giving that embarrassed smile again.

"It almost makes up for all the times you have come in and interrupted my work," the Exo stated in mock seriousness before letting out a chuckle that was matched by Eris. The moment of levity did not last long. "I could use your help in planning the next steps."

"Of course," Eris replied.

…

 **AN**

 **This is a re-purposing of one of my _Tales We'll Tell_ entries and what got me started on the idea of telling this story. I have modified it slightly here, mainly adding some to the conversation with the Vanguard and dropping the ending jump to the present, but it is essentially the same thing. Don't worry though, my other entry _One Disaster Breeds Another_ won't be getting the same treatment. All that material will be covered, and parts of it will appear as they are, but that entry glossed over too much vital detail.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Eriana-3 stared at her monitor, rereading the message. It was short and to the point, but the content was not the important part. It was what it represented.

The Exo Warlock and her friend, Hunter Eris Morn, had presented the Vanguard with a warning about a growing danger coming from the depths of the moon. The Vanguard had agreed to look into the possible threat, and would do so by asking the legendary figure of Rezyl Azzir to take on a scouting mission. She had heard nothing from them since then. Despite sending each member of the Vanguard numerous messages asking for an update, they had provided no new information. She was beginning to think that the promise given had been in vain, that the Vanguard would not do what they had said. Now, however, she had proof positive that they had indeed.

 _Today is the day. Meet me in the hangar._

 _\- Rezyl Azzir_

Finally. Finally something was happening, action was being taken. A feeling of triumph rose in Eriana's metallic breast. She quickly let Eris know that she would be meeting with him, then set about preparing.

"Do you have everything we need," she asked her Ghost, Kamaria.

"Yes," replied the feminine voice as the silver shell came into view. "I have scanned the book and what little information the Cryptarchs were able to provide Eris. I would have expected them to have more."

"Well, if they were holding out on her and she finds out, I would hate to be in their robes."

Eriana smoothed her robes, fastening her bond around her left arm. It gave off a faint glow, crackling with a curious power. Satisfied that she made the an impression that would convince the Titan to take her seriously, the Exo strode purposefully from her room and headed toward the hangar. She was not waiting long when a figure came around the corner.

Rezyl Azzir was probably the largest human being that Eriana-3 had ever seen. All of the Risen who had been slotted into the Titan class of Guardian tended to be taller and wider than normal, but Rezyl was a sight to behold. His armor was a contrast of beauty and devastation. The plate was ornately grafted and golden, yet the marks of countless years of battle were clearly visible and grisly trophies of conquest dangled in various locations. It was as if someone had taken a wild berserker of the wasteland, but tried to fit him with a piece of ornamental armor from a royal palace. A small voice in the back of her mind wanted desperately to take years to study each piece.

Eriana stood her ground as the massive figure approached. She wished he would remove his helmet so that she could read his face, but no one had ever seen him do that. Rezyl had spent too long fighting far too often to relax that much. He stopped just short of her and looked her up and down.

"Are you Eriana?" he asked, his voice a rich bass.

"I am," the Exo replied steadily.

"I've been told it's you I have to thank for this little excursion I've been assigned."

"I brought the matter to the Vanguard attention, yes," she told him.

"Good," the Titan nodded. "Then perhaps you can explain some things to me."

"Of course, I will share everything I know on the matter with you," the Warlock offered.

"The Vanguard said you had a book?"

"Yes. My Ghost has scanned all of the contents, as well as what little else we have uncovered, and I can have her transmit it to yours."

"That's fine," Rezyl nodded, his Ghost appearing above his shoulder and drifting down to meet Eriana's as it materialized. "Where did this book come from?"

The Exo Warlock shifted then, her optics darting briefly from the big man. "I'd rather not say."

"Hmm," the Titan crossed his arms over his chest, considering. "I think that tells me all I need to know. How did you come by it? It's my understanding that all of his possessions were removed and no one has seen him since his exile. I'd know if he had come near the City."

"I found it," Eriana began, then allowed with a shrug, "whether it was abandoned or planted, I couldn't say. I presumed the source, much as you have, and questioned its authenticity. Any question I had was erased when I followed its words to the Rusted Lands and found the seeder ships."

"You attempted to seek these beasts out on your own?" Rezyl asked, impressed.

"Yes," Eriana stated, "I am a member of the Praxic Order. We believe in following a more direct path than some of the others of our kind. The ships led me nowhere, however. They'd been abandoned long before; whatever creatures may have been in them seemingly long dead and only helping consign the Hive to ancient myth and legend. After that, I'd set the book aside until I started detecting those signals from the moon."

"I suppose I should expect no less from a bearer of the Cormorant Seal," the Titan said. "I presume you made no mention to the Vanguard of the suspected source of the book?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "If I mentioned his name, they would have dismissed me without a word."

The Titan nodded, then spoke, "That is a good possibility. Regarding the Hive, I've heard the legends, of course. Whispered in dark corners decades ago, now never spoken of. In recent years, they have come to mind and plagued my dreams. I welcome this opportunity to seek them out for you, Warlock. I'll be sure to bring you some trophies to study."

"I look forward to it, Titan," Eriana replied with a slight bow, a gesture Rezyl matched. "One last question before you go. You said you have been having dreams about them?"

"Yes. I hadn't paid them any mind since the founding of the Last City, but within the last year they have crept into my dreams. Teeth and claws. Pale skin and shrieking."

"Interesting," Eriana responded thoughtfully. "I wonder how closely that coincides with the activity I detected. Perhaps a question for another day. For now, happy hunting, Rezyl."

"Thank you."

Rezyl Azzir turned and was taken from sight by a transmat. Moments later, his ship rose from the hangar, turned, and departed. Eriana stood still and watched it go before leaving as well. She suspected she would have much to do in the coming days, but for now there was nothing to do but wait for Rezyl's report.

Eriana decided to return to her study. While she could make no further progress on the issue of the Hive for now, she did have other studies to attend to. Projects to work on, plans to enact. One of those would have to wait until Rezyl returned, but no reason not to begin now. She was certain that he would come back with evidence that the Tower needed to move against the demons of the dark, and she wanted to have a plan in place to present when that happened.

So far, the only other person who had come to see things there way so far was Wei Ning. Sometimes Eriana felt the Titan only listened to humor her, though she knew Wei would gladly accept the challenge if Eriana was proven right. When Rezyl returned, the ranks of believers would swell and she wanted to be at the forefront of anything that happened. It was where she belonged.

Eriana reached her study and entered in. One side of the room was now dominated by information and materials related to the moon. Images both old and recent of the surface, reports of any Guardian who went near Earth's satellite, the book and Cryptarch information about the Hive, and every other scrap of information Eriana had been able to get her hands on. On one of those scraps, the Warlock scribbled a question of the utmost importance.

 _What will Rezyl find?_

The wait was going to be difficult.

A message from Eris Morn was waiting for her on her terminal. The only surprise there was that the Huntress was not waiting outside her study in the flesh. Eris had been working closely with her every step along the way since they had initially discussed the threat of the Hive and approaching the Vanguard about it. Eriana let out the Exo equivalent of a chuckle when she saw the message.

 _Well?_

 _\- Eris_

Eriana sat and typed out a reply.

 _Eris,_

 _Direct and to the point, I see._

 _I met with him and he has been looking forward to going. Apparently, we are not the only ones who have had these dark creatures on our minds as our large friend has been having dreams of the Hive in recent months. He goes now to seek his nightmares._

 _\- Eriana_

She pondered what significance Rezyl's dreams presented. The timing of them could not be mere coincidence. That brought up the question of how the Titan could possible be connected with anything that was going on. She could see no obvious connection. Something else that would have to wait until he returned from his expedition.

Just then, there was a beep from Eriana's computer terminal, signaling that she had received a new message. Thinking Eris had replied quickly, Eriana opened the message without looking, then found that it came from an entirely different source.

 _Eriana,_

 _I see that they have finally opened their deaf ears to listen to fearful truths. Good. Perhaps not as good is the response. I fear the bear they have sent to do a rabbit's job will awaken something none of them are prepared for._

 _Do not doubt that he will find something vast and rotting, something that shrieks and tears against the Light in a wave of teeth and claws. When that happens, when he tells them of the terrors that wait above, then they will come to you for guidance. Perhaps then you will come to me. I will be waiting._

The Exo Warlock stared at the message. There was no indication of who sent it, but she was certain that she knew. She could attempt to have Kamaria try to trace the source, but doubted it would work. He would have covered his traces too well. If nothing else, she believed this confirmed her suspicions about who originally wrote the book that had started her and Eris down this path.

Toland the Mad was keeping tabs on them.

…

Eris Morn was not the source of the message to Eriana. Even if the content had not been enough to prove that, Eris simply was not currently in a position to have replied so quickly. The Huntress was nowhere near a computer terminal that morning, unless you counted the shattered relics that rusted in the ruins of humanity's Golden Age.

She had received Eriana-3's first message about meeting with Rezyl, and was frustrated that she could not be with her when it happened. Unfortunately, she was having to run a scouting mission that morning. When enough time had passed that she thought the meeting might have taken place, she had fired off the one word response through her Ghost. Right now, she was more concerned with not being spotted by a Fallen patrol.

Fortunately, not being spotted was much easier when one could turn themselves invisible. Eris was hidden by an active cloak, looking through the scope of a sniper rifle to zoom in on the Fallen activity. She was particularly focused on the large Captain that seemed to be directing the efforts of the scavengers. She was briefly concerned about lens flare giving her away, but the Fallen she was watching were too intent on their prize to notice.

A group of the creatures were trying to get into an old bunker of some sort embedded in the rock. Whatever security had been used to seal it must have been top notch for it to still be closed so tightly for so very long. Small groups of the aliens had split away from the main group and were patrolling the area, keeping an eye out for intruders.

"Patrol coming from your left," the voice of her Ghost sounded in Eris' ear.

"I see them, Harmonia."

"Just making sure," the Ghost replied.

Eris shifted slightly, pressing herself more closely to the wreck of the automobile that she was using for cover. Three of the aliens, all Dregs, passed within a few meters of her, chattering at each other in their strange language. They did not seem to be very attentive in their duty. This would work in Eris' favor.

The Hunter waited for them to pass, then settled back in and sought out her targets again. The Fallen still had not managed to crack the bunker, and the agitated movements of the Captain suggested frustration at that fact. Whatever was in there, the Fallen clearly wanted it very badly, which told Eris that she should keep it from them. She hooked her finger around the trigger, taking careful aim, then squeezed the trigger. The Captain's head exploded and its body fell lifeless. Three more quick shots dropped the other three Fallen nearby.

Eris heard the patrol that had just passed her returning, the sounds of running feet coming from her right. She slung the rifle over her back then drew two knives, tapping into her Light. Arc energy flowed through her, igniting her blades. The three Dregs came into view and the first one shrieked an alarm, but it was of no avail. Eris darted between the three of them, cutting them down. She glanced at the knives, then put them away. One of the benefits of electricity flowing through your blades was that it burned away any residue, making it easy to keep them clean.

Curiosity drew her to the bunker that the Fallen had been trying to breach. She summoned her Light again and used it to Blink closer. Two quick teleportations and she stood at the black metal door. Harmonia emerged and scanned it. A crumbling building stood overhead, with the bunker buried in the rock the structure had been erected on. There was nothing obviously connecting the two constructs.

"Whatever this is made of is blocking my scans. I'm getting absolutely nothing back. How strange."

Eris ran a fingertip over the door, feeling an odd chill. She had a sudden sensation of something sleeping within, something massive and powerful. Something dangerous. She pulled back, taking several steps and getting a good look at her surroundings. The rock-face above the door jutted forward slightly. Probably enough for what she wanted to do.

Eris reached into the Arc again, charging grenades. She flung them at the rock, the explosion jarring some loose and causing it to fall. Once the dust settled, the door was mostly covered. Enough so that one would have to be deliberately looking for it to find it. The building above remained undisturbed. It should be enough for now, though part of her wanted to drop the building as well.

"Tell the Vanguard. Advise them they may want to avoid sending a team to try to pry this thing open."

"Done."

Eris stared at the rubble for a moment longer. She was trying to decide if she should bury it further when her thoughts were disturbed by a pinprick feeling along the back of her neck. The sensation of being watched. The Hunter tilted her head, focusing her senses, straining to pick up any sound or any other sensation of movement near by.

There! Eris sprung into action, wheeling about and sprinting to her left, vaulting over some debris and bringing her sniper to readiness in one smooth motion. Her eyes darted rapidly, taking in everything before her.

They found nothing.

Eris grimaced, shifting slowly to the side to give herself a different angle around some of the surrounding clutter. She knew that there was someone or something here, but could not locate it. Briefly, she glanced through the scope of the sniper rifle, wondering if the advanced optics could see something her natural eye was missing, but it provided no help.

Eris stayed statue still, straining her senses again. Nothing moved. Eerie feelings from a door, and now phantom sensations of being watched. Many Guardians admitted to feeling like ghosts surrounded them as they strode through the ruins of humanity, but Eris was generally not one of them. Apparently, however, something was getting under her skin today.

Shaking her head, she summoned Harmonia, "Get us out of here. I've had enough of the phantoms for now."

The familiar, yet disconcerting, feeling of transmat enveloped her, and Eris found herself aboard her ship. Unseen by her or anyone else, in the place she left behind, a large pile of stone moved. As it did so, its color and shaped seemed to writhe, scale patterns emerging. The beast tilted its head upward toward the unseen craft.

…

 **AN**

 **Thanks to AceArcalas for the story favorite and Daydreamer B.A and The High Demon Lord for the story follow, and Order and Chaos – Qui Iudicant for the author follow! Appreciate the love.**

 **Long gap between the original posting and this one. Iron Banner came along. You know how that goes.**

 **Jayfeattheris Awesome – Thanks. This is something that's been buzzing around in my brain for a while. Hopefully I can manage to get all the lore right. If not, I know I'll hear it from some people *cough*OrderandChaos*cough*.**

 **AceArcalas – Wow. Good to know I'm making a solid reputation. That... that doesn't add all sorts of pressure at all... lol**

 **Daydreamer B.A – Pretty sure there are still some of them around. Would be pretty great to see one in Destiny 2.**

 **Order and Chaos – Even despite the author's note? For some reason, that made me laugh. There will definitely be a lot between Eriana and Shaxx. The whole of "One Disaster Breeds Another" will be getting another look and spread out to give it time to breath, so there will be plenty of time for them to butt heads. Maybe literally. I'm looking forward to writing Wei and Vell. I've been spending too much time with Hunters and Warlocks, I need my Titans to come in strong for me here.**


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